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U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier ordered BP to indemnify Transocean from compensatory damages linked to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. However, Transocean won't be protected from potential civil penalties or punitive damages under the federal Clean Water Act, the ruling stated. "This confirms that BP is responsible for all economic damages caused by the oil that leaked from its Macondo well," said Brian Kennedy, a spokesman for Transocean.

Related Summaries

Transocean on Tuesday filed a request to dismiss punitive claims related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010. Though Transocean owned the drilling rig, a ruling made by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in February removes compensatory damage liability from Transocean, and holds BP and Anadarko Petroleum responsible for all compensatory damages. This will also include punitive damages, which "must be based on compensatory damages," according to the motion.

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier ordered BP to pay Halliburton for any third-party compensatory claims arising from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill under a drilling contract. However, Halliburton could be held responsible for civil penalties or punitive damages under the Clean Water Act, Barbier ruled. Halliburton "agrees with the ruling to the extent that it requires BP to honor its contractual indemnity obligations," the company said.

Chevron and some of its Brazilian managers are expected to face criminal charges within weeks relating to a November 2011 offshore oil spill in Brazil, three Brazilian government officials said. The company acted in a "careless and irresponsible way," an official said. "Chevron is confident that once all the facts are fully examined, they will demonstrate that Chevron responded appropriately and responsibly to the incident," said Kurt Glaubitz, a spokesman for the company.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management proposed an offshore oil and natural gas lease covering 38 million acres of parcels in the central Gulf of Mexico. The sale, which would be the second in the Gulf since the 2010 oil spill, could produce 1 billion barrels of oil and 4 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to BOEM estimates. "We are moving forward with this sale based on careful analysis of the best scientific information available and consideration of all of the public comments we have received," said BOEM Director Tommy Beaudreau.

Cameron International has reached a $250 million settlement with BP over claims stemming from last year's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The agreement indemnifies Cameron, which made a key safety device for BP's Macondo well, from compensatory and environmental claims linked to the incident.